Edict Of Nantes will take his chance in the Choice Carriers Cape Classic after completing a hat-trick in fast time in the Graduation Plate at Durbanville on Saturday.
The 5-2 chance led just under a furlong out and, although the margin over stable companion Nebula was only half a length, the Mayfair Speculators winner really put his stamp on the race in the last 50 metres with Corne Orffer reporting “he was just playing with them.” The 1 min 23.75 sec time was only just over half a second outside Act Of War’s 1 400m course record.
Brett Crawford said: “This was a nice test and he came through it with flying colours. After the Cape Classic he will hopefully go on to the Selangor and then the Guineas while Nebula runs in the Betting World Algoa Cup at Fairview on Sunday week.”
However 11-10 favourite Lord Balmoral finished last after going out as if hit by load-shedding at the 400m mark. “I’m totally baffled,” admitted Vaughan Marshall following Glennie’s all-the-way win under Lucien Africa 40 minutes later.
Varsity Cup, who made all under Greg Cheyne in the first, is one of five that Crawford trains for patrons of Tony Millard in the hope that they will prove good enough to go out to Hong Kong. One who made the grade – in this country at least – was the 2013 Cape Guineas winner Elusive Gold and his full sister Seattle Gold delighted owner- breeder Ashley Parker when making most of the running in the last to complete a double for Orffer and a treble for Crawford.
Braam van Huysteen’s Felicity Flyer booked her Choice Carriers Championship ticket when running on resolutely for Aldo Domeyer to get up 50m out in the Place Your Bets Novice Plate.
Candice Bass-Robinson said: “Unfortunately she is drawn 28 but we will have to take our chance on Saturday week. She is a little thing but she has the heart of a lion and is as tough as nails. She also has a really good turn of foot.”
However Justin Snaith virtually ruled out the Choice Carriers for runner-up Gimme Six, saying: “She is drawn badly (30) and she is only rated 89. I have The Merry Widow (drawn one) rated 94 for that race.”
Domeyer, who hasn’t ruled out testing his athletic ability on the running track, is getting more of the Bass Racing mounts while stable jockey Grant van Niekerk is sitting out a ten-day Grand Heritage interference suspension and he also scored on Ollivander. He initiated a treble on the Snaith-trained odds-on shot Midtown Manhattan, deputising for the sidelined Richard Fourie who resumes at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Glen Puller reckons that Solar Night, part-owned by the lucky CTS Million Dollar winners Francis Carruthers and Ian Robinson, may yet justify at least some of the faith he had in the horse after the 7-2 chance gave weight all round under Craig Bantam in the 1 800m handicap.
“I have always liked him and I thought he would have been a bit further ahead by now,” said Puller. “But he could carry on from here.”
Michael Clower
